The Olyroos will face Switzerland’s Under-21 side and Serie B outfit Como in a series of friendlies during a training camp this month. KEEPUP profiles each of the 24 players selected in the Australia squad.
Tony Vidmar’s 24-man Olyroos squad are gathering in Europe for a training camp in northern Italy that will run between March 20-28. It is part of preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics qualification campaign that is scheduled to begin later this year.
During the European camp, the Olyroos will face Switzerland’s Under-21 national team on Saturday morning (AEDT), before a date with Serie B outfit Como the following Tuesday – who have Spanish legend and former Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas on their books, along with one-time Italy internationals Patrick Cutrone and Daniele Baselli.
Como, where former Olyroo and five-time Socceroo Joshua Brillante spent time on loan in 2015-16, have Fabregas and France icon Thierry Henry among their stakeholders, while ex-Chelsea midfielder Dennis Wise is president.
Among the Australian players selected, there is a fair mix of A-Leagues and overseas-based players, including some on the books of Premier League and Bundesliga sides.
KEEPUP runs the rule over the Olyroos squad and profiles each player who has been selected by Vidmar for the week-long summit.
Note: Patrick Yazbek (injury) and Jacob Farrell (illness) have withdrawn from the squad.
OLYROOS BACK IN ACTION: A clash with Fabregas’ Como awaits as Olyroos begin road to Paris Games with Euro camp & there’s a strong A-Leagues contingent
GOALKEEPERS
Nicholas Bilokapic – Huddersfield Town
Bilokapic is one of the names to keep an eye on in the years to come.
The 20-year-old goalkeeper – who is the nephew of former Socceroo Paul Bilokapic – was signed by Huddersfield Town in 2020 from NPLM NSW outfit Sydney United 58, making his senior debut for the Championship side in an FA Cup tie in January 2022.
After a short stint out on loan at Hartlepool United last campaign, Bilokapic has since returned and has received a run in the senior side – making six appearances for the Terriers this season.
He even provided the first assist of the Championship season by a goalkeeper in their 2-1 victory over Birmingham City – which was Neil Warnock’s first game in charge of the club.
With first-choice keeper – 53-time Czech Republic international Tomas Vaclik returning to the side from injury, he has since dropped out of the starting XI – but remains their second-choice shot-stopper.
Cameron Cook – Perth Glory
It’s fair to say the goalkeeping competition is strong in the Olyroos, with Perth Glory’s Cook also selected in the side.
Cook has made 19 Isuzu UTE A-League appearances for the Glory, usurping veteran shot-stopper Liam Reddy in the pecking order to make 12 of those this season – impressing in his stint in the senior side.
However, with New Zealand international Oli Sail arriving from Wellington Phoenix next season, the 21-year-old is going to have his work cut out for him to remain in the starting line-up.
Cook is also the first A-League Men’s player to come from Alice Springs.
Iliya Shalamanov-Trenkov – CSKA Sofia
The 20-year-old currently plies his trade for Bulgarian giants CSKA Sofia, after signing for their academy in 2014.
Shalamanov-Trenkova has been playing largely for their youth side and is still yet to debut for the senior team, but spent time on loan with Bulgarian second-tier side Litex Lovech – where he made 34 appearances across two seasons.
The Brisbane-born keeper told FTBL in 2021 that he had ambitions of one day playing for the Socceroos – despite his Bulgarian background – and also in the A-Leagues.
“I was born in Australia and I hope to one day play for Australia at national and club level,” he said.
“Yes, I also have a Bulgarian passport, but this is my decision. Australia has always had great goalkeepers like Mark Schwarzer, Mark Bosnich and Mat Ryan, and I work hard every day to have a similar career.
“I hope one day to deserve my first choice in a team like CSKA, Manchester United or to be a champion with an Australian team. My biggest dream is to play with Australia at the World Cup and to perform perfectly.”
DEFENDERS
Jordan Courtney-Perkins – Brisbane Roar
Courtney-Perkins has been one of the standout defenders since returning to Brisbane Roar on loan this season.
The 20-year-old, who already has seven Olyroos caps, impressed for the Roar – under both Warren Moon and now, interim head coach Nick Green. Throughout his career, he’s also shown great versatility, playing as both a centre-back and left-back.
Courtney-Perkins is still owned by Polish first-tier side Rakow Czestochowa, who finished second in the Ekstraklasa last campaign and look on track to win the title this time around – sitting nine points clear on top of the table.
He’s made three appearances for the side, all coming in 2021.
Kai Trewin – Brisbane Roar
Trewin is another of Brisbane’s emerging defenders who have taken another leap this season.
The 21-year-old has been a mainstay in the Roar line-up for the best part of three seasons now, making over 20 appearances in each of those campaigns – playing in a myriad of different roles from centre-back, to full-back and as a holding midfielder.
This season, Trewin has particularly come into his own, playing every single minute of the Roar’s campaign to date – something he fell one game shy of doing in 2021-22.
Lucas Mauragis – Wellington Phoenix
Canberra-born full-back Mauragis has had a breakout season at the ‘Nix.
Joining the club on loan from Newcastle Jets, Mauragis has cemented his place in the starting XI, usurping Sam Sutton in the pecking order to become Ufuk Talay’s first choice left-back option. His attacking work is particularly impressive, adding two assists this campaign.
The 21-year-old has also showed his attacking quality in spates throughout his 24 appearances at the Jets – scoring two goals and tallying three assists in the two seasons he spent there before going out on loan.
Thomas Aquilina – Newcastle Jets
Aquilina earned an Olyroos call-up off the back of an intriguing 2022-23 campaign.
The right-back left Western Sydney Wanderers in the off-season to join Central Coast Mariners – where early in the campaign he had cemented his place as the first-choice right-back – before moving to Newcastle in a swap deal with James McGarry in February.
In his 58 Isuzu UTE A-League appearances, the 22-year-old has showcased strong defensive and attacking traits, tallying five assists throughout his career.
Callum Talbot – Melbourne City
Talbot has been one of the unsung heroes at Melbourne City, establishing his place as their first choice right-back after making the move from Sydney FC in the off-season.
The 22-year-old was drafted straight into the starting line-up from round one this campaign under former City boss Patrick Kisnorbo, where he impressed with his two-way running.
Under Rado Vidosic, Talbot has started more often than not, continuing to forge a brilliant dual-threat with newly anointed Socceroo Jordan Bos as City’s two full-back options on either flank.
Alexandar Popovic – Adelaide United
A Popovic in the heart of a national team defence just feels right.
Adelaide United’s 20-year-old centre-back had an astronomical rise to the senior team late last season, winning a place in the starting XI just in time for the finals, where he held his own against some of the league’s best attackers and earned an A-Leagues All-Stars call-up as a result.
Popovic continued where he left off this campaign, but has recently dropped out of the starting XI.
Nonetheless, the future is bright for one of Australia’s most talented young defenders.
Mark Natta – Newcastle Jets
Another centre-back to keep an eye on in years to come is Newcastle’s Natta.
The 20-year-old joined the Jets from the Western Sydney Wanderers in the off-season, starting their first 11 games of the campaign, standing out particularly in their 1-0 win over Adelaide United in December – where he shut down Reds striker Hiroshi Ibusuki.
However, he has only featured four times off the bench since that stretch of early-season starts – falling behind veteran duo Matthew Jurman and Carl Jenkinson in the pecking order.
MIDFIELDERS
Cameron Peupion – Brighton and Hove Albion
Among all the promising players selected for the Como camp, Peupion is up there with the most exciting of the bunch.
The 20-year-old former Sydney FC junior joined Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion in 2020 and has since become a regular for their Academy tean. Peupion has made 17 appearances in Premier League 2 this season, scoring two goals and getting one assist to his name.
Ex-Brighton boss Graham Potter – now at Chelsea – handed Peupion his senior debut in the EFL Cup earlier this campaign, where he nabbed an assist in his 10-minute cameo in their 3-0 win over Forest Green Rovers.
So high are his stocks that both the English and French FAs have reportedly enquired about him switching allegiances – as he is eligible for both nations due to having an English-born mother and French-born father.
But for now, he’s got his eyes set on representing Australia, having done so at the U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2019 and the U-23 Asian Cup last year.
Louis D’Arrigo – Adelaide United
After impressing in glimpses since debuting in the A-Leagues in 2019, D’Arrigo has really come into his own this season.
The Adelaide United midfielder burst onto the scene as a holding midfielder, impressing with his defensive capabilities and solid work-rate but had never quite been able to showcase what he can do at the other end of the pitch at club level.
Until now.
In just the last two months, D’Arrigo has scored two goals and added three assists, with all of his assists coming in the last three games – with coach Carl Veart pushing him further forward to play as a No. 10 on occasion.
The 21-year-old was also a central figure in the Olyroos’ U-23 Asian Cup success, starting in four of the six games – helping himself to a goal and an assist.
Calem Nieuwenhof – Western Sydney Wanderers
It’s been the name on everyone’s lips this season and for very good reason.
Since making the move from Sydney FC to the Wanderers in the off-season, Nieuwenhof has taken his game to another level, going from strength to strength in the heart of Western Sydney’s midfield.
During his time at the Sky Blues, he showcased the hallmarks of a player with an enormous ceiling, but was riddled with injuries over the last two seasons.
All Nieuwenhof has needed was a clean run at it and he’s shown during this season alone that he can well and truly do it all.
Win the ball back? No problem. Get forward and provide an assists? No issue. Score a goal? You bet!
Nieuwenhof has scored three goals to go with two assists this season, all of those contributions coinciding with Morgan Schneiderlin’s arrival and the Wanderers’ switch to play a more progressive brand of football.
Such are the sheer quality of his performances that his coach Marko Rudan believes he should have been considered for the Socceroos squad in March, while there were even rumblings of Scottish giants Celtic showing interest in his services.
Incredibly, he’s only 22. A scary prospect.
Jake Hollman – Macarthur FC
Hollman is slowly but surely becoming one of Australia’s most promising midfield prospects.
The box-to-box Macarthur FC midfielder has become a lynchpin in the heart of the Bulls’ midfield this season, playing a career high 948 Isuzu UTE A-League minutes.
Hollman’s promise has always been there, playing for the Young Socceroos at the U-19 Asian Championship and gaining the interest of many clubs after impressing for Sydney FC’S Y-League team.
However, a year after signing for the Bulls’ inaugural squad in 2021, Hollman contracted glandular fever twice – which took an enormous toll on the Macarthur midfielder.
“I was in bed 22 hours a day and I’d feel so disgusting. When I would get up to shower I’d want to collapse,” he told AAP in February.
“I went on a 200m walk about eight weeks in and I felt like I’d run a marathon. When I’d make progress I’d encounter setbacks and I’d get humbled very quickly.
“Football was nowhere in my thinking, you don’t envisage it when you’re that sick. There were stages where I was like ‘I don’t deserve this, the world’s against me’.”
Battling back from such an ordeal makes his solid season all the more incredible as he looks to now impress the Olyroos coaches in Italy.
Keegan Jelacic – Perth Glory
It’s been some season for Jelacic, who off the back of an impressive season with the Glory, has opted to pledge his allegiance to Australia.
Jelacic previously represented New Zealand at youth-team level, making two appearances for their U-17 side in 2019, but decided to focus his attention on playing for the country of his birth.
It’s been some rise to stardom for the former Brisbane Roar attacking midfielder, who joined Perth in the off-season from NPL Queensland side Lions FC.
Since being handed an opportunity by Ruben Zadkovich, the 20-year-old hasn’t looked back and has been one of the club’s most impressive players this campaign.
According to Zadkovich, he is ‘the brightest talent in Australian football’.
Jordan Harrison – Watford
Harrison has had quite the journey.
He was born in Saudi Arabia, before moving to Brisbane and then the United Kingdom at age nine – where he spent the past decade in the youth academies of Chelsea and Manchester City.
Now, the 20-year-old has settled at Championship side Watford, where he’s still part of their youth academy. The midfielder is eligible to represent a host of different countries due to his heritage, including Australia, South Africa, England and Scotland – with the latter calling him up to play for their U-15 side in the past.
Instead, Harrison opted to represent Australia and was almost part of the Joeys set-up back in 2018 – after being scouted by Ange Postecoglou’s former assistant Peter Cklamovski – but paperwork wasn’t lodged in time meaning he missed out.
Marlee Francois – Bristol City
Francois is another of the young Aussie contingent plying their trade in the UK.
Brother of Tyrese – who plays at Fulham – the 20-year-old midfielder joined Championship side Bristol City from the Cottagers in 2019, where he has signed a two-year deal as part of their senior set-up.
Francois made his debut in the FA Cup against West Bromwich in January, coming on as a substitute. The box-to-box midfielder famously made one of the shortest loan deals in history, joining Portsmouth – who were low on players – for a friendly against Bristol.
He played the final half an hour of the game and incredibly, scored against his parent club!
Ryan Teague – FC Familicao
Teague was called in a last-minute replacement for former Sydney FC midfielder Patrick Yazbek.
The 21-year-old, who is also a former Sky Blue, made the move to Portuguese first division side FC Famalicao in 2020 and has made one senior appearance for the club. Since then, he’s largely played for their youth side.
Teague got his biggest taste of senior football at second tier side S.C. Covilha last season, where he featured 27 times.
FORWARDS
Lachlan Brook – Crewe Alexandra
Another member of the Adelaide United production line, Brook has gone on to become a regular at Crewe Alexandra this season in League Two.
The Brentford-owned player joined the club on loan for this campaign where he has made 24 league appearances and scored two goals for the side.
Before jetting across the world to the UK in 2020, the 22-year-old debuted for the Reds in 2017-18 and returned to the club last campaign for a season-long loan deal – where he made 19 appearances.
The dynamic winger started in all but one of the Olyroos’ U-23 Asian Cup matches last year and has played for Australia at both U-17 and U-20 level previously too.
Jacob Italiano – Borussia Monchengladbach
In 2017, the Australian football public stood up and took notice of Italiano after he debuted for Perth Glory as a 16-year-old.
Soon after, he was on the move to Germany, joining giants Borussia Monchengladbach. Now 21, Italiano has been in their youth set-up for the best part of four years, making over 60 appearances for the second-team in the country’s fourth tier.
Italiano was a key member of the side that secured qualification for the Tokyo Olympics under Graham Arnold.
Alou Kuol – VfB Stuttgart
There aren’t many – if any at all – brighter Australian attacking options than Alou Kuol.
Just like his younger brother Garang, the 21-year-old striker burst onto the scene at Central Coast Mariners, doing so in 2020 under Alen Stajcic – where he scored seven goals in his first full season in the senior team. His performances caught the eye of overseas teams, with VfB Stuttgart being the team to pounce – signing him that off-season.
He has since played largely for their youth team, scoring seven goals in 18 appearances last season before joining Sandhausen on loan in Bundesliga II. Kuol debuted for Stuttgart’s senior team as a substitute earlier this season, making his sole appearance in a 2-1 defeat to RB Leipzig – but hasn’t replicated his scoring feats of the 2021-22 campaign this time around.
However, his most impressive highlight to date came in the Olyroos’ Asian Cup campaign, where his scorpion kick goal was nominated for the Puskas Award.
“Don’t ask me how I done it,” he told Football Australia media afterwards.
“I was running forward and saw the ball go behind me, and I just thought, ‘Yeah, let’s do it’. I couldn’t do anything else so I just hit it and it came off.
“Out of 10? I’d give it a five. That’s normal. Just give me the same ball and I’ll do it again – I’m lying, that was nice.”
Nishan Velupillay – Melbourne Victory
One of Melbourne Victory’s brightest young talents, Velupillay has been rewarded for his solid form.
Since debuting in 2021, Velupillay has shown the talent at his disposal, particularly through his raw speed and tight dribbling.
His performances, along with that of team-mate’s Lleyton Brooks in the 2021-22 season was a rare bright spark in an otherwise difficult campaign for Victory – where they finished bottom.
The 21-year-old has played more regularly this season under Tony Popovic this campaign, starting a few games in the last couple of months off the back of some solid cameos off the bench.
Noah Botic – Western United
Botic has arrived.
The young number nine, who has earned comparisons to Mark Viduka, is starting to show the wider football public of his enormous ceiling off the back of a tremendous run of form in the last few months at Western United – scoring five goals in his last six games.
It’s been a slow burn for Botic, who had to bide his time and wait in the wings for an extended run in the senior side, after arriving from Hoffenheim in 2021.
The inaugural Dylan Tombides medallist initially caught the eye of the Bundesliga side after impressing for NPL NSW outfit Rockdale Ilinden. The 21-year-old’s performances also earned him a trial at Manchester United and drew interest from Everton and Bayern Munich – and was named among the 60 best young talents in the world by The Guardian.
READ: Meet the young Aussie prospect breaking free from comparisons to forge his own name in football
At national team level, he starred for the Joeys at the 2019 U-17 FIFA World Cup, scoring four goals in four games.
Jahce Novello – Cosenza
With Central Coast Mariners defender Jacob Farrell withdrawing due to illness, Vidmar called upon young attacker Novello to take his place.
Novello currently plies his trade for Serie B side Cosenza’s Primavera team, after making the move from Cremonese in August 2021.
The 18-year-old initially joined I Grigiorossi – the same club former Socceroo John Aloisi made 48 appearances for – after making the move to Italy from Bunbury, Western Australia in 2019.
